Multi-conveyor transfer system

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including programs encoded on computer storage media, for transferring comestibles between conveyors. An exemplary method includes receiving, by a first conveyor of a conveyor system, a first comestible; transferring, by the first conveyor at a respective upper comestible transfer position, the first comestible to a subsequent conveyor of the conveyor system; receiving, by the first conveyor at the respective upper comestible transfer position, a second comestible; receiving, by a last conveyor of the conveyor system at a respective upper comestible transfer position, a third comestible; and moving, substantially concurrently, at least part of the first conveyor and at least part of the last conveyor from the respective upper comestible transfer positions to respective comestible discharge positions at which the respective conveyor transfers the respective comestible onto a corresponding location on a lower conveyor positioned at least in part below the conveyor system in a vertical direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a conveyor subsystem i) adapted to move a plurality of comestibles in a longitudinal direction and onto a lower conveyor positioned at least in part below the conveyor subsystem in a vertical direction and ii) comprising:
 a first conveyor adapted to move from a) a first upper comestible transfer position at which the first conveyor receives comestibles and transfers at least some of the comestibles to a subsequent conveyor to b) a first comestible discharge position at which the first conveyor places at least some of the comestibles onto a first location on the lower conveyor; and 
 a last conveyor spaced apart longitudinally from the first conveyor and adapted to move from (a) a last upper comestible transfer position at which the last conveyor receives second comestibles to (b) a last comestible discharge position at which the last conveyor places the second comestibles onto a last location on the lower conveyor that is separated from the first location in the longitudinal direction. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first conveyor is adapted to move from the first upper comestible transfer position to the first comestible discharge position when a first comestible approaches a first downstream edge of the first conveyor; and 
 the last conveyor is adapted to move from the last upper comestible transfer position to the last comestible discharge position when a last comestible approaches a last downstream edge of the last conveyor. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein, for the first conveyor, the first comestible discharge position is a position at which the first conveyor places at least some of the comestibles onto the first location on the lower conveyor and does not transfer any comestibles to the subsequent conveyor. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor subsystem comprises two or more actuators each of which is coupled to a corresponding conveyor and adapted to move at least a portion of the corresponding conveyor from a upper comestible transfer position to a comestible discharge position. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein a last actuator from the two or more actuators is adapted to rotate the entire last conveyor from the last upper comestible transfer position to the last comestible discharge position. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the two or more actuators comprise a first actuator coupled to the first conveyor and two or more second actuators coupled to respective conveyors, the respective conveyors including the subsequent conveyor and the last conveyor; and 
 each of the two or more second actuators is adapted to rotate, substantially concurrently, the respective conveyor from a respective receiving position to a respective discharge position. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the first actuator is adapted to rotate a moveable portion of the first conveyor substantially concurrently with the rotation of the respective conveyors by the corresponding ones of the two or more second actuators. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 6 , comprising the subsequent conveyor (i) separate from the last conveyor and (ii) that has substantially the same shape as the last conveyor. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first conveyor comprises:
 a substantially fixed portion adapted to receive a comestible from a prior transfer device; and 
 a moveable portion downstream longitudinally from the substantially fixed portion adapted to rotate and place a comestible onto the lower conveyor. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the substantially fixed portion is substantially horizontal. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , comprising the lower conveyor adapted to receive comestibles separated longitudinally from the first conveyor and the last conveyor. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , comprising a support frame that couples to the conveyor subsystem and the lower conveyor. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , comprising a press (i) coupled to the support frame, (ii) downstream longitudinally from the conveyor subsystem, and (iii) that is adapted to press comestibles positioned on the lower conveyor after the conveyor subsystem moves the comestibles onto the lower conveyor. 
     
     
       14. A method comprising:
 receiving, by a first conveyor of a conveyor system, a first comestible; 
 transferring, by the first conveyor at a respective upper comestible transfer position, the first comestible to a subsequent conveyor of the conveyor system; 
 receiving, by the first conveyor at the respective upper comestible transfer position, a second comestible; 
 receiving, by a last conveyor of the conveyor system at a respective upper comestible transfer position, a third comestible; and 
 moving, substantially concurrently, at least part of the first conveyor and at least part of the last conveyor from the respective upper comestible transfer positions to respective comestible discharge positions at which the respective conveyor transfers the respective comestible onto a corresponding location on a lower conveyor positioned at least in part below the conveyor system in a vertical direction. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein moving the first conveyor and the last conveyor comprises rotating, using one or more actuators, the first conveyor and the last conveyor from the respective upper comestible transfer positions to the respective comestible discharge positions. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , comprising:
 determining, for each discharging conveyor in the conveyor system, whether the respective discharging conveyor has at least one comestible on an upper surface, wherein the discharging conveyors comprise at least the first conveyor and the last conveyor; and 
 in response to determining that at least one discharging conveyor in the conveyor system does not have at least one comestible on an upper surface, transferring, by one or more of the discharging conveyors, comestibles to subsequent discharging conveyors. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein determining whether the respective discharging conveyor has at least one comestible on an upper surface uses a sensor. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , wherein moving at least part of the first conveyor and at least part of the last conveyor comprises:
 determining, for each discharging conveyor in the conveyor system, whether the respective discharging conveyor has at least one comestible on an upper surface, wherein the discharging conveyors comprise at least the first conveyor and the last conveyor; and 
 in response to determining that each of the discharging conveyors in the conveyor system have at least one comestible on an upper surface, moving, substantially concurrently, at least part of each of the discharging conveyors from a respective upper comestible transfer position to a respective comestible discharge position at which the respective discharging conveyor places a respective comestible onto a corresponding location on the lower conveyor. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein determining whether the respective discharging conveyor has at least one comestible on an upper surface comprises determining whether a time period has expired. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 14 , comprising:
 moving, by the lower conveyor, one or more comestibles received from the conveyor system to corresponding locations in a press; and 
 pressing, by the press, the one or more comestibles to form one or more corresponding flattened comestibles. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , comprising:
 maintaining the lower conveyor in a stopped position while the press presses the one or more comestibles to form the one or more flattened comestibles; 
 moving the lower conveyor to move the flattened comestibles downstream from the press; and 
 substantially concurrently with moving the lower conveyor to move the flattened comestibles downstream from the press, transferring, using at least the first conveyor and the last conveyor in respective comestible discharge positions, the second comestible and the third comestible to the lower conveyor.